Greene County Democrat

Month: April 2023

  • COVID-19

    As of April 18, 2023 at 10:00 AM
    (According to Alabama Political Reporter)

    Alabama had 1,655,661 confirmed cases of coronavirus,
    (1,560) more than last report, with 21,133 deaths, no more
    than last report.

    Greene County had 2,332 confirmed cases, 1 more cases than last report, with 54 deaths

    Sumter Co. had 3,202 cases with 55 deaths

    Hale Co. had 5,778 cases with 110 deaths

    Note: Greene County Physicians Clinic has testing and vaccination for COVID-19; including the new bivalent booster for Omicron variants.
    Call for appointments at 205/372-3388, Ext. 142;
    ages 5 and up.

  • Eutaw City Council approves agreement for new water operator

    At its regular meeting on April 10, 2023, the Eutaw City Council approved an agreement with J&K Water Consultants of Northport, Alabama to serve as water operator for the city. A certified water operator is required by Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) and is critically needed as the city moves forward with multi-million-dollar grants to repair and improve the unified Eutaw and Boligee Water System.

    Corey Martin, previous certified water operator and IT (computer) specialist with the city resigned and moved on to a position in another city.

    Johnathon Nixon, who is a certified water operator, working in Northport will visit the city weekly to monitor wells and tanks, take water samples, assist in repairing water leaks and making monthly reports to ADEM and the city. According to Mayor Johnson, Nixon has roots in Greene County and previously worker for the city, under prior administrations.

    J&K Water Consultants will work with existing city staff to maintain the system on a daily basis and be available for leaks and special problems beyond the monthly water sampling and reporting. J&K will be paid $1,500 a
    month for their services.

    Ralph Liverman presented the Council with a set of documents on the city’s finances that were not reviewed at the meeting. Among the documents was a report for the first six months of the 2022-23 fiscal year, October 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023.This report covered 19 bank accounts that the city has including the General Fund, Water and Sewer Funds, Capital Improvement, Gas Tax Funds, Municipal Court and COVID Relief.

    In a prior council work session, Liverman said that revenues for the first half of the year were meeting budgetary projections. Expenses were running slightly ahead of budget because of clean-up efforts after the November 28, 2022, and January 12, 2023, tornados. The City expects reimbursement from FEMA for most of the clean-up and debris management costs from the January storm, which received a Federal disaster declaration from FEMA, that was not available for the earlier storm.

    Liverman also provided the City Council with a copy of a check for $32,880, which was the first disbursement from the State of Alabama for the first phase of the ADEM sponsored water and sewer improvement project. The funds were deposited in a special account as required by ADEM. The City Council agreed to set up two new bank accounts one for the Water Project and one for the Sewer Project at its December meeting. The report shows that the city is in compliance with ADEM requirements on handling funds.

    The City Council tabled action on changing and approving the signatories for bank accounts in Merchants and Farmers Bank. The Council also tabled action on a request from Rev. Siegfried Williams, Pastor of Freedom Rock Church in Eutaw, who wanted to purchase some property from the city, since Rev. Williams was not in attendance at the meeting. The City Council did approve payment of bills and claims.

    In her Mayor’s Report, Latasha Johnson thanked all of her staff members for their devoted work on behalf of the city. She mentioned that Samuel Braggs, a long-time city employee had passed.

    Police Chief Tommy Johnson announced that a First Responders Parade will be held on May 25th. Carrie Logan with the Eutaw Area Chamber of Commerce announced a clean-up day on Saturday, April 22, when volunteers will collect and bag-up trash in the city.

  • Post Mistress Willie E. Davis honored for 38 years in US Postal Service – Ms. Bessie Smith selected as new Post Mistress in Eutaw

    Shown L to R: Ms. Bessie Smith, Mr. Arthur Bowens, Jr., Ms. Willie E. Davis

    Post Mistress Ms. Willie E. Davis was honored at a Retirement Reception on Sunday, April 16, 2023 at the Robert Young Community Center in Eutaw, AL.  Mrs. Bessie Smith, Eutaw postal employee who organized the special event, was Mistress of Ceremony. Ms. Willie E. Davis served 38 years in the United States Postal Service, beginning her career in Eutaw, in 1984, as a city carrier and completing it as Eutaw Post Mistress, March 31, 2023.  

        Ms. Davis was escorted at the event by her son Jerome Davis who presented a poem in tribute to his mother.  Mr. Lorenzo French gave a tribute representing Mayor Latasha Johnson and the City of Eutaw as will as representing the Tishabee Community where he, Ms. Davis and her family call home. Elder Spiver Gordon presented a special community service certificate to Ms. Davis, commending her for, not just her exemplary postal service work, but for her continuous community service, especially to the less fortunate. Dr. Carol P. Zippert extended special appreciation to Ms. Davis for her caring service to the community, her patience, understanding and helpfulness. 

        Mr. Arthur Bowens, Jr., MPOO Area T, (U.S. Postal Service Supervisor), lifted special tributes to Ms. Davis, not only for her dedicated service in the postal system, but for her service in providing on-the-job training, monitoring and supervision of other employees in the postal system.  Mr. Bowens also announced that Mrs. Bessie Smith has been selected as the new Post Mistress for the Eutaw Post Office and will be sworn in this month. Following other tributes to Ms. Davis, refreshments and fellowship were shared by all attendees.

     

  • Branch Heights residents thankful for surviving 2022 tornado

    The residents, staff, volunteers and supporters of the Housing Authority of Greene County held a community celebration expressing appreciation for surviving a devastating tornado that hit the Branch Heights community on April 13, 2022, miraculously resulting with no reported deaths or physical injuries.  Housing Authority Director, Mrs. Anita Lewis welcomed the gathering and presented Housing Authority Commissioner Spiver Gordon for the invocation.

        Mrs. Lewis stated that more than 40 homes were affected by the 2022 tornado, many with major damages, some having to be rebuilt. “More than 100 people were made homeless by that storm, but we we were in God’s hands for all the lives in our community were spared,” she said. Mrs. Lewis praised the residents, her staff and all the volunteers who came together to address the various challenges from that storm.  “So many helped to provide shelter, food, clothing and other necessities for those displaced by the tornado, and we can’t thank them enough. We are still in recovery mode, but we are moving forward,”she said.

        Several residents shared stories of their harrowing experiences when the tornado hit.  Mrs. Dale Lanier said she heard the train sound and the next moment she was trapped in her bedroom when her roof and wall collapsed, yet she walked away shaken but unhurt.  Ms. Connie Tyree said she still cannot erase the terrible feeling she experienced when her entire house shook and her air conditioner unit flew into the house, landing inches from her.  Mrs. Joyce Cotton revealed that she is certain it was the Lord who awaken her and her husband directing them to move to a safer location in the house, just when the storm was about to hit.  Ms. Dorothy Beverly stated that by the grace of God, she was not in her house when the tornado hit it.

        Following the testimonies and expressions of thanksgiving, the gathering, led by Mrs. Lewis and Mrs. Decharo Rice, released dozens of white balloons, in celebration of life, outside the Branch Heights Community Center. Refreshments were provided for all attendees, including homemade cookies by Mrs. Lanier.

  • COVID-19

    As of April 14, 2023 at 10:00 AM
    (According to Alabama Political Reporter)

    Alabama had 1,654,101 confirmed cases of coronavirus,
    (1,632) more than last report, with 21,133 deaths (2) more
    than last report.

    Greene County had 2,331 confirmed cases, 0 more cases than last report, with 54 deaths

    Sumter Co. had 3,200 cases with 55 deaths

    Hale Co. had 5,766 cases with 110 deaths

    Note: Greene County Physicians Clinic has testing and vaccination for COVID-19; including the new bivalent booster for Omicron variants.
    Call for appointments at 205/372-3388, Ext. 142;  ages 5 and up.

  • Newswire : Farmworker complaints lead activists to challenge‘fairtrade’ label on South African wine

    South African farmworker in grape orchard


    Apr. 17, 2023 (GIN) – The label says “Fairtrade” but the conditions at some of South Africa’s money-making vineyards are anything but…
     
    That’s what two academics from Rhodes University of South Africa concluded in a study of the country’s wine industry once characterized by the use of enslaved workers and the exploitation and paternalistic control of Black and coloured laborers by white farmers for over 300 years.
     
    Following the end of apartheid and the country’s reintegration into the international community, winegrowers were able to import modern technologies and access global export markets for the first time. As a result, South Africa is now the ninth-largest producer of wine in the world and generates more than US$550 million in export value annually.
     
    A number of wineries have formed to fulfill the standards of Fairtrade International such as workers’ rights and environmental protections. 
     
    The group certifies products and ingredients after reviewing company practices and is a symbol commonly associated today with chocolate, coffee, cotton and various other items.
     
    Fairtrade products are sold at a higher price because a percentage of the sale value is designated for day care centers, literacy programs and medical centers.
     
    But interviews with a number of farmworkers suggest that while the wine bottles might bear the Fairtrade label, the workers on these farms do not feel fairly treated.
     
    Of some 30 farmworkers interviewed, most were not even aware that the farm they worked on was Fairtrade certified. Several farmworkers reported poor and unsafe living and working conditions. One woman complained of the vineyard lacking toilets for women. “We have to relieve ourselves in the vineyards. The only toilets you see is when there is an audit.”
     
    “We were promised that these houses would be temporary,” said another. “It is cold and when it rains the rain comes in. … We have reported this, and nothing happens. I have to constantly move my bed when it rains because the water comes through. I have been here since 1979. They [farm management] have ignored me. They don’t care.”
     
    An investigative documentary (Cheap Wine, Bitter Aftertaste) that spotlights Germany, the second-largest importing country of South African wine after Great Britain, found problems. 
     
    Eighty percent of farm workers in the wine sector were seasonal, forcing them to turn to the state’s Unemployment Insurance Fund when the harvest season ends in March.
     
    The minimum wage is about one third below the living wage needed to support a household, as calculated by the NGO Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity. 
     
    As to working conditions, the workers’ harshest criticism was over the use of pesticides, particularly the herbicide paraquat which is banned in many countries. “There is no simple answer to the problems faced by workers on wine farms in South Africa, wrote Gisela ten Kate from the Dutch activist group SOMO in an article titled: “Labor Conditions in South African wine industry remain appalling.” 
     
    “Dutch supermarkets need to take their role in the supply chain seriously, to pay fair prices so that farmers can pay a proper wage.
     
    Finally, the human rights defender Oxfam International wrote: “We found proof of labor rights violations and inhumane conditions.”
     
    Oxfam has been part of the global Fair Trade movement since its inception. Today, it still inspires many of volunteers to champion just and sustainable trade.
     
    “We believe the current trade system is far from just or sustainable. It was captured by imperialistic and colonialist forces in the past and remains, even today, under the control of the powerful and the rich to a large extent.
     
    “Trade justice,” affirmed Oxfam ,”offers an alternative approach. But As long as it excludes people and future generations from its welfare-creating properties, trade cannot be considered just or sustainable.”
     

  • Newswire : White man arrested in shooting of 16-year-oldwho rang wrong doorbell

     Ralph Yarl, 16 year-old shooting victim

    By: Stacy Brown, NNPA Newswire

    A White 85-year-old homeowner who allegedly shot and wounded Ralph Yarl, a Black teen, after the 16-year-old went to the wrong home to pick up his siblings will face two felony charges, Clay County attorney Zachary Thompson announced early Monday evening.
    Andrew Lester will face charges of assault in the first degree and armed criminal action. Authorities have issued a warrant for his arrest and he’s not currently in custody, Thompson said, according to CNN.
    “I can tell you there was a racial component to this case,” Thompson said at a news conference without elaborating.
    There is no indication that either Lester or Ralph spoke to one another before the Thursday evening shooting, he said. The prosecutor added there is no evidence that the teen entered the home and preliminary evidence shows Lester opened fire on the teen through a glass door with a .32 caliber revolver.
    Earlier, nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorneys Ben Crump and Lee Merritt were retained by the Yarl’s family.
    According to the Kansas City Defender, the white man reportedly shot Yarl in the head through the glass door, then when Yarl was already bleeding out on the ground, shot him again.
“The family has described it as a hate crime, and community members are calling for justice for the young victim,” reported The Defender, a member of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA).
The NNPA is a trade of more than 230 African American-owned newspapers and media companies representing the Black Press of America.
“This was not an ‘error’; this was a hate crime. You don’t shoot a child in the head because he rang your doorbell. The fact that the police said it was an ‘error’ is why America is the way it is,” Dr. Faith Spoonmore, Yarl’s aunt, told The Defender.
Authorities reportedly escorted the suspect to police headquarters following the shooting, briefly interviewed him and released the man.
Yarl’s family said they are outraged that the perpetrator had not been held accountable. “This man intended to kill an innocent child simply because he rang the doorbell of the wrong house,” Dr. Spoonmore asserted.
“He looked him in the face and shot him… and the individual is free to go about his day as if he did a great deed. While my nephew Ralph Yarl is a great kid, an intelligent kid, a black boy is left with so many broken pieces.”
Crump and Merritt, nationally recognized civil rights lawyers who has represented Ahmaud Arbery and Cameron Lamb, announced they would represent Yarl’s family.
Shaun King, a well-known activist and journalist, announced that he’s also assisting with the case.
The Defender, which was the first outlet to report on the shooting, said the Yarl family has urged supporters to help spread awareness about the case and bring attention to the issue of racial violence in America.
“There is no excuse for the release of this armed and dangerous suspect after admitting to shooting an unarmed, non-threatening, and defenseless teenager that rang his doorbell,” Crump and Merritt said in a joint statement.
“We demand swift action from Clay County prosecutors and law enforcement to identify, arrest, and prosecute to the full extent of the law the man responsible for this horrendous and unjustifiable shooting.

  • Newswire : Lawsuits pile up against companies who failed to honor DE&I pledges after murder of George Floyd

    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent


    The aftermath of George Floyd’s murder has led to several large corporations facing multiple lawsuits for failing to meet the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments they made.
The commitments were made following Floyd’s death in 2020, with businesses quickly issuing statements and pledging to adopt new ways to combat racism.
Those pledges included addressing ethnic and gender inequalities among their employee ranks.
However, according to Bloomberg Law, a host of lawsuits claim those pledges were never met.Among the most egregious parties are Wells Fargo and Delta Air Lines.
Bloomberg said those companies falsely claimed that, over the past three years, they worked to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Five shareholder lawsuits allege that Wells Fargo ran afoul of federal law against discrimination. Wells performed “sham interviews to nominally fulfill a diversity-enhancing policy,” the lawsuit claims. Further, the bank’s board acted on diversity and inclusion issues only because of negative media coverage.
Law firms have filed at least 40 suits alleging that employment discrimination has only increased since pledges were made. Sarah Fortt, worldwide co-chair of Latham & Watkins LLP’s environmental, social, and governance practice, told the outlet that she also noted a spike in “‘reverse discrimination’ claims.”
According to a published report, these lawsuits take the form of shareholder derivative proceedings, in which investors claim that a company’s failure to achieve specific DEI goals caused the value of its stock to decline.
Bloomberg noted that “DEI-specialized lawyers, academics, and practitioners contend that companies must balance the needs of the business, employees, shareholders, and customers when creating progressive initiatives while averting legal action from any of those groups.”
Bloomberg continued: One strategy offered is formulating policies “aspirationally,” or in general terms.
Lawyers asserted that instead of creating a strict quota to employ a specific number of people of color for its board, a corporation might aim to match the proportion of people of color in its workforce to that of people of color on its board.
Elena Philipova, director of sustainable finance at Refinitiv, noted that the most prosperous businesses are genuine, and authentic and have DEI objectives built into their DNA.
Despite the lawsuits, some corporations have moved to improve DEI within their organizations. For example, in December 2020, Microsoft announced that it had achieved its goal of doubling the number of Black and African American managers, senior individual contributors, and senior leaders in the U.S.
However, the report noted that the company still has work to do to achieve gender and racial parity at all levels. Additionally, some companies are incorporating innovative approaches to improve diversity and inclusion.
For instance, Airbnb has reportedly implemented a program called “Project Lighthouse” to increase representation across race, gender, and other dimensions.
The program includes creating “belonging assessments” that measure employees’ sense of belonging and connection to the company and then creating tailored solutions based on the results.
Still, the report concluded that some corporations had improved diversity and inclusion, while others faced lawsuits for failing to meet their DEI commitments.
The most prosperous businesses are open and honest about their objectives, pay attention to their staff, and incorporate DEI objectives into all operations, Philipova told Bloomberg.
“It really needs to be genuine and authentic, built into the DNA of the organization, and then being transparent.

  • Newswire : State, federal law enforcement raid 14 casinos in Jefferson County

    The Alabama AG’s Office obtained temporary restraining orders against the casinos, closing them for at least the near future.

    By: Josh Moon, Alabama Political Reporter

    State and federal authorities raided and closed 14 electronic bingo halls around Jefferson County this week, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said at a press conference on Wednesday.
    In a press release, Marshall said that his office obtained temporary restraining orders against all 14 businesses, which will keep them closed pending a court decision within the next two weeks. Law enforcement also confiscated more than 2,400 electronic bingo machines.
    “The facilities shut down today were operating in blatant violation of state law, apparently without fear of reprisal,” Marshall said. “Our action this week came in response to numerous complaints about the trouble that illegal gambling has brought into these communities. These citizens deserve better. Allowing criminal enterprises to operate freely, in broad daylight, is offensive to the rule of law and will not be tolerated.”
    The raids continue a decades-old argument over the legality of electronic bingo in the state. Numerous counties have passed bingo amendments that they believe give them the right to operate the games. Marshall and the state’s Supreme Court have disagreed, calling the games illegal slot machines.
    AG Marshall continues to pursue a lawsuit to close electronic bingo establishments in Greene County, despite Alabama Constitutional Amendment No. 743, which legalized them under the supervision of the Sheriff. A sign posted on the William M. Branch Greene County Courthouse door says the next hearing in the Greene County case is set for May 4, 2023.
    The electronic games, which are played at all Poarch Band of Creek Indians casinos, are legal under the federal definition of bingo and several states have also adopted that definition.
    The raids this week were conducted by ALEA, the FBI and DEA.

  • Newswire : Justice Clarence Thomas’s brazen violation of ethics rules, receives more attention

    By Li Zhouli@vox.com

    Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has accepted luxury trips from a major Republican donor — and failed to disclose them — for over two decades, according to a bombshell ProPublica report that was published in early April. A second ProPublica report revealed that the same donor’s company purchased a house and two vacant lots from Thomas, a financial exchange he also did not disclose. And a Washington Post investigation found Thomas has repeatedly claimed income from a real estate company that no longer exists.
    Thomas’s lack of disclosure about these trips and property sales is a clear violation of government ethics law, according to legal experts. A mistake may be behind the issue with his income statements — a new company with a similar name was formed after the first’s dissolution. That error, however, is reflective of a pattern of shoddy adherence to disclosure rules that has Thomas and his commitment to ethical conduct under new scrutiny.
    Federal judges, including Supreme Court justices, are required to disclose such gifts and transactions under the Ethics in Government Act, which establishes rules for federal officials regarding what’s acceptable. As detailed by the law, transportation gifts, and most real estate sales above $1,000, need to be disclosed.
    The recent reports follow Thomas’s refusal to recuse himself from litigation related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection, even as his wife, Ginni Thomas, played a direct role in trying to overturn the 2020 election results. More broadly, they serve as reminders that Supreme Court justices face limited oversight or accountability — and have long refused to publicly engage with calls for stricter ethics rules. 
    In the past, lodging and food provided on someone’s property have been exempted from disclosure requirements, but transportation, which Thomas accepted, has not been. Per ProPublica, the “extent and frequency” of gifts that Thomas received from Republican megadonor Harlan Crow — which included flights on private jets and trips on luxury yachts — have “no known precedent in the modern history of the U.S. Supreme Court.” The property sales that Thomas made would also not be exempted from such laws.